Research advances in determination of hepatitis B core antibody level

With the development and application of the double antigen sandwich method for quantification of hepatitis B core antibody( HBcAb) in recent years,there is increasing knowledge of the ability of HBcAb to reflect the body's anti- viral capability. This article introduces the commonly used measurement methods for HBcAb and the new trends in HBcAb measurement and summarizes the association of serum HBcAb level with viral antigen and the body's immune response,as well as research advances in effective prediction of antiviral effect with baseline HBcAb measurement before antiviral therapy. It is also pointed out that the clinical application of HBcAb needs further investigation.